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MOT fail rates by first-use year

2017 Suzuki Swift MOT fail rate and common faults

How Suzuki Swift cars first used in 2017 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 32,528 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated

At 8 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 8 (n=8,093)20.1%
All cars at 8 years (n=10,440,457)23.8%
Difference−3.7 pts
MOT tests of 2017 cars, 2022 to 202532,528

What stands out

  • In 2025, at 8 years old, Suzuki Swift cars first used in 2017 failed 20.1% of MOTs (8,093 tests), 3.7 points below the 23.8% for all cars that age.
  • From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 5 to 8 years old, the fail rate moved from 15.2% to 20.1%.
  • Suzuki Swift cars first used a year earlier, in 2016, failed 21.0% at the same age of 8 years (10,550 tests, in 2024).
  • The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Suzuki Swift at 8 years, is rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded, at 1.5 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 0.2).

MOT fail rate by test year

Suzuki Swift cars first used in 2017: share of MOT tests that failed, by test year, against all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.
Test yearAgeMOT fail rateTests (n)All carsDifference
20225 years15.2%8,19415.3%−0.1 pts
20236 years16.7%8,10917.8%−1.1 pts
20247 years16.8%8,13220.6%−3.9 pts
20258 years20.1%8,09323.8%−3.7 pts

Most common faults at 8 years

These figures cover all Suzuki Swift MOTs at 8 years: cars first used 2014 to 2017, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=41,361). The list uses every first-use year so it has enough tests. Wear items (tyres, brake pads, wipers, bulbs) say more about upkeep than about the design.

MOT fail items

Fail itemPer 100 MOTsAll cars
Side/position light not working Wear3.51.2
Brake light not working Wear3.21.3
Wipers not clearing screen Wear2.81.7
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Wear1.92.3
Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded1.50.2
Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Wear1.31.1
Tyre pressure monitoring system: malfunctioning or obviously inoperative1.20.8
Brake pads under 1.5 mm Wear1.12.0
Tyre condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Wear1.01.3
Headlight aimed too high Wear0.80.7

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=41,361). A test with two items counts once for each.

Advisories

AdvisoryPer 100 MOTsAll cars
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear13.28.6
Tyre tread close to the legal limit or worn on the edge Wear12.415.7
Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material7.81.4
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened7.28.6
Brake pads wearing thin Wear5.68.6
Suspension pin or bush worn, without excessive movement3.34.0
Brake discs: worn, but not excessively2.52.7
Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources Wear2.31.9
Individual direction indicators: slightly discoloured Wear2.30.3
Service brake performance: binding but not excessively2.00.8

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=41,361). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 8 years

These figures cover all Suzuki Swift MOTs at 8 years: cars first used 2014 to 2017, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=41,361). Each fuel is set against all cars of the same fuel and age. Fuels with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

FuelShare of testsMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars, same fuelMedian mileage
Petrol96.1%21.0%39,72922.8%48,627 miles
Hybrid3.2%17.3%1,33617.2%49,784 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 8 years

These figures cover all Suzuki Swift MOTs at 8 years: cars first used 2014 to 2017, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=41,361). At 8 years, Suzuki Swift cars at 90,000 to 120,000 miles failed more often (36.2%, n=2,077) than those at under 30,000 miles (11.3%, n=7,221). Bands with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Mileage at testMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars
Under 30,000 miles11.3%7,22113.4%
30,000 to 60,000 miles19.2%21,07721.0%
60,000 to 90,000 miles27.8%10,42526.6%
90,000 to 120,000 miles36.2%2,07730.2%

Car tax rules for a 2017 car

  • Cars first registered from 1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017 are taxed by CO2 emissions band, from band A (the lowest emissions) to band M. The band is set by the CO2 figure on the V5C logbook.
  • Cars first registered from 1 April 2017 pay a first-year rate set by CO2 emissions, then the standard rate each year. A petrol, diesel or hybrid car with a list price over £40,000 also pays the expensive car supplement for five years, from the second tax payment.
  • A car first used in 2017 can fall under either rule, so the registration date on the logbook decides.

These are the rules, not the amount for a specific car. Car tax check

ULEZ and clean air zones

  • Petrol cars first registered from 2006 usually meet Euro 4, the petrol standard for the London ULEZ, so they usually do not pay the daily charge.
  • Hybrids follow the Euro standard of their petrol or diesel engine.
  • The clean air zones in Birmingham and Bristol use the same Euro 4 petrol and Euro 6 diesel standards. The low emission zones in Scotland use them too, but enforce them with fines, not a daily charge.

The Euro standard of the car decides, not the year alone. ULEZ checker

Other years of the Suzuki Swift

Other Suzuki models first used in 2017

ModelAge at testMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars
Suzuki Vitara (2017)8 years in 202519.2%11,44923.8%
Suzuki Celerio (2017)8 years in 202515.2%6,28223.8%
Suzuki Ignis (2017)8 years in 202521.1%6,10523.8%
Suzuki SX4 (2017)8 years in 202517.3%3,22623.8%

More on the Suzuki Swift

Read this with care. A fail rate is not a measure of build quality. How far cars are driven, how they are used and how well owners maintain them all change it, and wear items such as tyres and brake pads are common fails. Compare a model only with cars of the same age. Methodology and limits.

Found one you might buy? Vet the specific car.

These figures describe 2017 Suzuki Swift cars as a group, not any one car. The VetTheCar Buying Report looks at the car you are buying: its MOT history, what similar cars did next, and what to ask the seller.

See an example Buying Report All car tools

Source

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025. MOT data updated 28 September 2026.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources

Car tax and clean air zone rules are summarised from GOV.UK and Transport for London guidance. They are general rules and are not drawn from the MOT data.